1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a therapy table useful primarily in chiropractic medicine for spinal treatment.
2. Prior Art
Chiropractic is the science concerned with the relationship between body structure, principally the spine and the nervous system and its effect on the body and the function of the body's systems.
Although back pain is normally thought of as the major symptoms of spinal problems, degeneration of the vertebrae and discs and misalignment of the spine is believed to be a cause of many health problems. Nerves branching from the spinal cord and blood vessels pass through intervertebral foramen, the openings between vertebrae. Spinal misalignment may change the shape of the openings or make them smaller, which causes neurothlipsis, pressure on the nerve.
The science of chiropractic teaches manipulation of the vertebrae with the goal of reaching a correct alignment of the spine. A skilled chiropractor may use his or her hands to effect manipulation. Some treatment, however, is best done slowly or at a certain repeated frequency by machines. Determining which conditions benefit most from the latter treatment is also a function of a skilled chiropractor.
A main back problem is caused by disc degeneration. Discs are the cartilage between each of the vertebrae allowing flexibility to the spine and acting as a shock absorber. Through trauma, improper posture, long days of sitting and lack of exercise, discs loose their cushioning and flexibility effects, and they may deteriorate to a position allowing adjacent vertebrae to contact and rub against the nerve. This is quite painful. For discs to remain healthy, it is believed that regular exercise is important because the alternate stretching and cushioning by the discs causes increase circulation and intercellar fluid to be "pumped" into the disks.
It has been recognized that moving a correctly positioned roller longitudinally relative to the spine may retard disc degeneration and may actually repair damaged disks through the increased circulation and pumping action.
A normal spine curves from front to back, and the curve changes between the cervical, thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine. Previous therapy tables that had moving parts rolling along the spine are often spring mounted so that the rollers can conform to the curve of the spine. Hussey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,272 (1972) discloses such a spring mount. Springs change the force applied based upon distance between the rollers and their support. Thus, as the spine curves away from the surface of a therapy table and the spring cause the rollers to follow the spine, the force applied in that area will be less than in the areas where the spine is closer to the table.
Programmability of the table is desirable. Although many prior art tables are adjustable, each requires patient measurement before adjustment. Because the tables can operate without close supervision by a chiropractor, it would be desirable if the patient could affect programming of the table based on the specifications dictated by the chiropractor.
Although keeping constant pressure on the various portions of the back may be desirable, it would also be desirable to apply different forces to different areas of the back, which would require changing the force during translation of the rollers. For simplicity of operation, the force adjustment should occur automatically without the need for an operator to monitor force levels and change them manually.
Vibrating the rollers in contact with the back has been found to have therapeutic effects, but it is believed that it is the vertical component of the vibrations (i.e. movement generally toward and away from the surface of the back) that is useful and that the horizontal component of vibration is actually counter-productive. It would be desirable to eliminate the horizontal oscillations.